Object Type
The shape of this cup is that of a traditional Protestant communion cup. A communion cup was used to give wine consecrated during the Eucharist to the congregation. After the Reformation, most Roman Catholic chalices were converted into or replaced by communion cups. Although chalices and communion cups have the same function, their shape is often different, as is the role of communion wine in the Protestant and Roman Catholic traditions.

Design & Designing
Gothic arches and foliage decorate the bowl and foot. The Gothic designs of the Middle Ages regained popularity in the late 18th century and 19th after the long preference for design from the Classical sources of ancient Greece and Rome. One of the major proponents of the Gothic style was the architect and designer A.W.N. Pugin (1812-1852), who insisted it was the only style fit for a Christian country.

People
The cup forms part of a service of plate presented to the parish church of Mapledurham, Oxfordshire, in 1831 by its vicar, the Reverend Lord Augustus Fitz-Clarence (1805-1854). Lord Augustus, the illegitimate fifth son of William, Duke of Clarence (who reigned as William IV, 1830-1837), by Mrs Dora Jordan, a well-known actress, was appointed to the living under the patronage of the Crown in 1829.

Edward Barnard & Sons, who made this set of church silver, were the successors to a major silversmithing firm established in London around 1689 by Anthony Nelme (active 1672-1722).